RBS - Direct Line Conveyancing Panel Information

The requirements to join the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel is likely to be fairly detailed and is unlikely to include signing up to LENDERmonitor alerts.

One might ordinarily expect RBS - Direct Line via their Part Two requirements to address this but the Handbook makes no mention on deadlines to send deeds. Do look at the Terms of RBS - Direct Line’s Conveyancing Panel Appointment that you entered into. For many lender's these Terms have a provision along the following lines: ‘To keep us informed of the reasons for any delay in your being able to send the title deeds and documents we require to us within 3 months of completion or evidence of proof of registration within that period. (We will send reminders if the deeds have not been received but will not acknowledge receipt of deeds’ It is imperative to keep RBS - Direct Line informed. Law firms can often compound their problems by not communicating with the lender when there is a delay or problem.

There are many reports available, five of which are as follows:

• Buy to Let transactions
• Disclosure/Notification to Lender analysis indicating frequency and nature of disclosures - to include benchmarking analysis against aggregate data
• The percentage of the firm’s business which is conveyancing (broken down into sale/purchase and remortgage)
• Number of conveyancing cases by lender
• Average time frame to send deeds to the lender (calculated from completion date or title registration)

The concern here is if you are expect to enter into ‘more onerous’ conditions that than the Handbook obligations. You have to try and take an objective view as to whether the Terms relating to the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing appointment (or other terms for other lenders) are ‘more onerous’ than the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Conditions. Depending on the Terms you may need to provide details on your renewal form. If you are in any doubt please call your broker to discuss before moving forward on this question.

In this situation please explain on the form what action you have taken to discover the reasons behind cancellation of your RBS - Direct Line panel membership. In particular please provide details if you have received communications from the lender. E.G. before revocation of your panel membership did you receive any letters or calls from the lender putting you on notice?

You would be advised to contact RBS - Direct Line to obtain standard documents. The The Council of Mortgage Lenders Handbook contains an explicit section for banks to reveal who to contact to obtain standard documents. RBS - Direct Line in their Part 2’s state: It helps to quote the firm’s RBS - Direct Line solicitors panel number.